Treatment of chronic pain, particularly inflammatory and neuropathic pain, is an area of unmet medical need. Neuropathic pain is nerve injury resulting in hyperexcitability of neurons involved in pain sensation. T-currents are present in neurons of pain pathways. T-type calcium channel blockers are effective in preclinical models of neuropathic pain. Transient receptor potential V1 (TRPV1) is a nonspecific cation channel, activation of which can lead to pain, in particular inflammatory pain, and hyperalgesia, as well as playing a role in cough and bladder function.
Type II diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, is a progressive disease characterized by impaired glucose metabolism resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. Patients with type II diabetes exhibit impaired pancreatic beta-cell function resulting in failure of the pancreatic beta-cells to secrete an appropriate amount of insulin in response to a hyperglycemic signal, and resistance to the action of insulin at its target tissues (insulin resistance).
Current treatments of type II diabetes aim to reverse insulin resistance, control intestinal glucose absorption, normalise hepatic glucose productions and improve beta-cell glucose sensing and insulin secretion. The sulfonylurea class of oral antihyperglycemic agents promote insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-islet cells, but have the potential to cause hypoglycemia as their action is independent of glucose levels. Antihyperglycemic agents include: insulin sensitizers that reduce hepatic glucose production by inhibiting gluconeogenesis; α-glucosidase inhibitors that inhibit breakdown of complex carbohydrates thus delaying glucose absorption and dampening postprandial glucose and insulin peaks; and thiazolidinediones that improve the action of insulin and reduce insulin resistance. Over time approximately one-half of type II diabetes patients lose their response to these agents. Because of the shortcomings of current treatments, new treatments for type II diabetes are highly desirable.
GPR119 is a constitutively active G-protein coupled receptor expressed predominantly in pancreatic beta-islet cells. Activation of GPR119 by an agonist increases insulin release from pancreatic beta-islet cells in a glucose dependent manner. Thus an agonist of GPR119 offers the potential to normalize blood glucose levels in a type II diabetic patient in response to post-prandial blood glucose elevation, but would not be expected to stimulate insulin release in the pre-prandial or fasted state.
Niemann-Pick C1-like (NPC1L1) has been identified as a critical mediator of cholesterol absorption. It has been determined that the cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe targets NPC1 L1.
The treatment of disorders of lipid metabolism, diabetes, vascular conditions, demyelination and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with azetidinone derivatives has been disclosed. Azetidinone derivatives that inhibit cholesterol absorption in the small intestine are well known in the art and are described, for example, in U.S. RE 37,721; U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,356; U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,115; U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,966; U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,548; U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,246; U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,624; U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,920; U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,787; U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,470; US Publication No. 2002/0137689; WO 02/066464; WO 95/08522 and WO96/19450. Each of the aforementioned publications is incorporated by reference. The art indicates that these compounds are useful in treating, for example, atherosclerotic coronary disease, either by administrating these compounds alone or with a second compound such as a cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor.
WO 2005/000217 describes combination therapies for the treatment of dyslipidemia comprising the administration of a combination of an anti-obesity agent and an anti-dyslipidemic agent. WO 2004/110375 describes combination therapies for the treatment of diabetes comprising the administration of a combination of an anti-obesity agent and an anti-diabetic agent. US 2004/0122033 describes combination therapies for the treatment of obesity comprising the administration of a combination of an appetite suppressant and/or metabolic rate enhancers and/or nutrient absorption inhibitors. US 2004/0229844 describes combination therapies for treating atherosclerosis comprising the administration of a combination of nicotinic acid or another nicotinic acid receptor agonist and a DP receptor antagonist. Also known is a method for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a mammal by administering an effective amount of therapeutic composition comprising at least one cholesterol lowering agent and/or at least one H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist.